Moon Shot
by StrangerWays
Summary: A coming of the age tale about the PS118 gang playing baseball together for one last time the summer before becoming freshman in high school.
1. First Day Of Summer

**A/N:** Moon Shot: _A very long, high home run._

 **I personally consider the Genre to be** General **because there are many elements in this story.**

 **Such as Humor. Romance. Coming of The Age. Friendship. Angst. Hurt/Comfort. Tragedy.**

 **But for now Friendship and Romance will do.**

 _ **Summary:**_ _A coming of the age tale about the PS118 gang playing baseball together for one last time the summer before becoming freshman in high school._

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own HA!

 **First Day of Summer**

It was the first official summer night. A warm wind picked up making a particular blondes hair fly into their face, with a annoyed swipe of her hand she managed to get the hair to stay behind her shoulders. Even with her futile attempts at placing her hair behind her, a vengeful wind had a mind of its own and golden strands flew back into the newly teen girl's face.

"Urgh!" She growled.

With her growl came a few chuckles from a young black teen of the age 13.

"Shut it, Johanson." The blonde tomboy spat.

"Not my fault your hair tie broke. Besides you look like a girl for a change." The brown skin male snickered.

"Gerald, that's enough." The third party spoke up. He adjusted his signiture small blue cap ontop of his football shaped head.

The blonde girl still slapped Gerald's shoulder which caused a yelp from the young man.

"Helga." The young teen chastised.

"Alright, sheesh." The girl crossed her arms and the three continued their walk on home with a baseball bat, two mitts and ball in hand.

The walk had been relatively silent from the park and soon the trio had come to the corner where they had normally parted for their seperate ways. All three had stopped and with a wave from Gerald and a pucker of his lips toward Helga, he ran off but not without hearing a monstorous growl from the girl. The boy with the childish blue cap smirked at the display and looked to his female companion beside him, her hands placed on her hips, ball and mitt in her left hand.

The girl with the azure eyes had finally looked up into the green eyes of the teen with the blue cap and had felt her heart momentarily stop and beat wildly but she had stopped the erratic beating within seconds and had given him her famous smirk.

"Guess I'll be on my way, football head." Helga had begun to turn to her side of the street when the football headed boy spoke out.

"Mind if I walk you?" He gave her his dreamy like smile and deeply she wanted to swoon but thoughts of friendship clouded that vison.

"Whatever floats your boat."

The street lights had littered the street and sidewalk with rays of yellow/orange light. Helga had looked at their shadows and almost believed they were holding hands from their shadows intertwining with each other but that wasn't the case. The football headed boy was walking a friendly distance from the blonde girl and had gotten quite comfortable with their silent walk to her purple duplex.

They were nearly three blocks away and Helga had let a yawn escape her pink pouty lips. The football headed boy had chuckled automatically at Helga's obvious exhuasten.

"What's so funny Arnoldo?" She stated smugly.

The blonde haired boy slipped his left hand in his pocket and looked to her quite calmly.

"Sorry we had you out so late but it was a good practice."

Earlier in the day, much of their oldest friends from elementary had practiced and played a few games of their favorite sport, baseball, Much of the team consisted of males and two females. One being Helga, the other an upperclass girl by the name Rhonda Wellington Lloyd but as of late the rich girl hadn't shown up to practices so Helga was the only girl left on the team.

"A much _needed_ practice. I swear pinkboy couldn't pitch unless someone waved a Mr. Nutty bar in his chunky face." Helga had grumbled.

Arnold couldn't help but laugh even if the comment was a tad mean. Harold, being pinkboy, wasn't their exact best player but when he gave effort he was one of the best. His weight and laziness were his only disadvantages.

"Guess we should go to the store tomorrow before practice. Wanna come with me?"

Arnold hadn't missed the blonde girl's blush and almost immediatey he regretted asking her. They had just recently become friends this past year. In fourth grade, himself, Gerald and Helga had saved their neighborhood from being built into a shopping mall from a business figure named Sheck, While Arnold and Gerald had thought they were working alone with the help of a mysterious stranger, Arnold had figured out it was Helga helping behind the scenes even though her father Big Bob would have benefited richly from the economic change. When asked why she had done such a thing for him, especially because much of his young life she was his bully, she had confessed her love for him and everything changed.

In fifth grade it was as if nothing had happened and she continued to bully him but on a much worse scale and by sixth grade Arnold had grown tired and had embarassed her in front of all their peers in a fury. He immediately had felt bad and for nearly two years they hadn't spoken a word to each other until he had made it a point to apologize and ask for some kind of truce and a possible friendship in eighth grade. She had accepted his offer and soon they were the best of best friends, including Gerald. Now they had graduated eighth grade and were to become freshman in high school.

Arnold hadn't even noticed they were at Helga's stoop. He felt reluctant to leave strangely and Helga had caught the movement of his shoes and taping of his fingers and offered him to sit with her on her stoop. He had sat down gratefully and she had sat beside him, mitt and ball beside her. His baseball bat stood between his legs and he had begun to feel an awkwardness between the two approaching.

There was always a presence of an elephant somewhere whenever he and Helga were alone. There was much unsaid. Such things as her feelings for him and he had rather go without talking about it because he just didn't feel those things for her. He was almost postive he never would. He looked to her to see her fiddling with her hands in her lap and thought she wasn't bad looking at all. She looked kinda pretty with her hair down but she was his friend, a friend he had a long history of being enemies with.

"Gerald was being stupid earlier." His own mouth deceiving him. She looked up at him, her eyes seeming to sparkle.

"Which part, me looking like a girl?" She chuckled darkly but the insecurity was laced in her laugh.

"You look like a girl, always. He really meant to say you look pretty with your hair down." He watched as her eyes widened and he felt his were about to as well for his statement.

"Hell would freeze over the day Gerald thought I was pretty."

"Well, I think you look pretty with your hair down." He said a friendly smile placed on his lips.

Helga sighed sadly. Often times she and Arnold had found themselves in these awkward situations where he would compliment her in a friendly manner and her mind wanted to pretend he was saying it in a more romantic way but deeply she knew he wasn't. He didn't really think she was pretty, he didn't think much of her except as a pity friend. And she had accepted that role just to get closer to him.

"You don't have to lie Arnold. I know you don't think I'm pretty."

Arnold had watched her find her shoes more interesting than him. He couldn't believe what she had just said. He meant it!

"I did mean it. You look pretty with your hair up or down."

"Then why don't you like me?" She said sadly.

"I do like you." His eyes showed his confusion of her question obviously missing out on what she was really asking. She had gulped before speaking.

"Why don't you like me like me?"

There was a pause and his heart had stopped beating and he had wished this conversation hadn't come up, He felt awful. What could he say to her? Words she had used on him when his heart was broken from his still childhood crush Lila Sawyer back in fourth grade before Sheck? No, he couldn't do that to her. They were friends and he didn't want to hurt her feelings but he had to be honest.

"Helga...I just see you as a friend. I'm sorry."

Somewhere deep inside something broke. Be it glass or heart, or maybe her heart was made of glass, it had broken into tiny shards at those words, the true rejection leaving his lips,

"Why?" Her voice wavered, betraying the need to cry.

He paused and felt his insides shrivel. "I don't know." His voice equally low.

The sounds of city life breezed by. The honk of a taxi car, the sounds of heels clicking not too far away and music blasting from a neighbors home. And still the tension had seemed much louder. Helga tried her hardest to force the tears inside, Even knowing his answer before she asked, it still hirt worse than she imagined.

"Lila, right?" She caught sight of his face to see his teeth sucking in his bottom lip,

"I'm really sorry, Helga." His eyes looked to her, she saw the sincerity but it hadn't mattered just like her feelings for him.

She had stood up and grabbed her mitt and ball in hand.

"Just go home, Arnold."

He looked hurt but she could care less because out of the two her feelings hurt more. She had walked up all the steps and pulled her house keys from her jean short pocket and went to unlock the door. Arnold stood watching her back and wanted to stop her, say something but his honest feelings were that he didn't like like Helga. He shouldn't feel this bad for being honest, and he wasn't upset about that. He was upset he had hurt the toughest girl in their neighborhood. He stood, baseball bat at his side.

"Helga, wait."

She paused but hadn't looked his way. Arnold thought about waiting for her to turn around and face him but more than likely she wasn't going to turn around. She didn't even want to see him. Another pang of hurt hit his stomach.

"We're still friends right?" He felt like a little kid again, wanting to be accepted. For added measure he said, "I'll always be your friend."

"I've got plenty of friends, Arnold. Good night." Her door had opened and she walked in.

He looked at her door for a few minutes more before deciding to drag his feet away from her house and back to his own. He was heading to the boarding house, where he lived, to see if his grandma had eaten and if his grandpa had taken the med the doctor prescribed. Arnold was heading back to his reality.

 **A/N:** _Hello, it's been years. I lost something important and I'm trying to regain what I've lost. Some may remember my works, most won't. No matter. I miss_ _Hey Arnold fandom. It seems to have disappeared. There were authors who put original stories out, stories that you took something morally from and now the stories are without effort and value. I wanted to do a Hey Arnold fiction of them being in the stages of childhood and young adolescence. A good story of romance, friendship, maturity and baseball. (What much of the show was about). Do enjoy._

 _Love Always_


	2. The Challenge

**Disclaimer: I do not own HA!**

 **The Challenge**

It was a bright afternoon and sweat glistened off the teen males. The young boys were playing a game of baseball in the famous Gerald Field. The summer heat started settling in and Arnold was up to bat with team member Sid Gilafi at second plate. Their team was down a run and if calculated just right Arnold could get the win. The young blonde could hear Gerald whistling in the distance cheering him on and a few opposing members, and friend cheering against him. Arnold's eyes were on the pitcher, his chubby friend, Harold Berman giving him a smug grin. The two stared each other down for a long while.

"Are you gonna hit like a girll, Arrrnoldd?" The chubby adolescent teased childishly.

Arnold gritted his teeth and his eyes went into slits as he watched every move his chubby friend was making.

"Just throw it." He practically sneered, his grip on his bat deathly.

Harold smirked and with a mighty swing of his arm, he threw the ball right into the catcher, Stinky's, mitt. Arnold missed the swing completely and let out a groan.

"You got this Arnold!" He heard Gerald shout from the outfield.

"Yea, you've got a strikeout coming Arwnold." Harold snickered.

Arnold started to become frustrated that a 17year old were still so childish. He wiggled his butt much like he had in his youth and told himself to concentrate and with another swing from Harold, he had swung but the ball went to his right.

"Foul ball." Stinky's country twang could be heard.

Arnold had struckout the entire game.

All five boys were sitting in the field eating some popsicles for the Jolly Olly man had driven by. The cool of the pops were easing the heat and clear tension away from the fact that one of their best players weren't here again.

"Why hasn't Helga been showing up?" Sid had asked tossing his stick far out into the grass.

"You better pick that up." Gerald narrowed his eyes at the long nosed boy, who had gotten taller over the course of years.

"Boy howdy, you act like this is your house or something."

"The field _is_ called Gerald Field, Sid." Stinky stated eating into his italian lemon ice.

"What he said."

Gerald gave Sid a victorius smirk. Sid with a roll of his eyes lifted up with his palms and had grabbed the popiscle stick throwing it out into the street.

"Happy?" He plopped down sarcastically. All the boys had rolled their eyes save for Harold who was eating his third fudgy bar.

"Where's Helga? Cause if she saw how we were playing today she would grab us by the balls and hang us."

"The image is burned in my head, thanks." Gerald seethed.

"Helga holding our balls? Not a bad thought." Sid smirked while Gerald visibly blanched.

"Your secret crush on her is disturbing."

"Only cause you're obsessed with Phoebe you find it gross."

"I am not obsessed with Phoebe!"

"She's SO smart." Sid exaggerated.

"She has _the_ cutest laugh!" Stinky mocked.

"Gerald and Phoebe sitting in a tree. K-I-SS-I-N-G!" Harold bellowed out a laugh and the three boys snickered.

"Real mature guys, I almost forgot we were going to high school."

"Don't remind me." Stinky grimaced.

"I can't wait. High school chicks." Sid swooned.

"You like anything with a vagina, I swear."

The boys mindlessly bickered and Arnold laid back into the grass thankful they hadn't further discussed Helga. Since their last argument he hadn't seen or heard from her in over a week. He looked to his popiscle that was melting, he hadn't even taken a lick from it. All this hadn't gone unnoticed from Gerald, he would later ask Arnold if he knew anything.

"Well what do we have here, the freshman losers."

All five boys had stopped all conversation and looked to see a handsome, tall and quite built young blonde with a group of peers who appeared his age with mitts, a bat and two balls. Sid was the first to stand up, and the rest of the boys stood up. They had met the other boys half way and stopped when they were nearly two steps away from being in each other faces. Obvious rivalry was there.

"Hello Wolfgang." Arnold greeted casually.

"Football face." Wolfgang smirked looking the rest of the boys down until his head tilted to the side in amusement.

"Where's long legs?" He bit his lower lip in a way that made Arnold's hand ball into a fist.

"None of your business Wolfgang!" Sid sneered. He had gotten quite gutsy over the years.

"Probably pms-ing." Edmund laughed his slowlike laugh.

"That's disgusting man." Gerald's face had begun to look ill.

"Shame, it's always fun messing with her." Wolfgang said distracting the situation.

"What do you want Wolfgang?" Arnold losing his patience.

"Came to play a game of baseball, got that Football Face."

"Go play at Tina Park. This is our field!" Gerald puffed his chest up while Harold had cracked his knuckles.

"It's a free country, Gerald. Besides its not like you losers are putting the field into good use." Wolfgang's goons snickered and clapped hands.

"Oh we can put it into good use right now. Bring it on!" Sid balled his fists up, Stinky holding him back.

Arnold was beginning to get annoyed with their childish behaviour, on both ends, and was going to settle it calmly.

"Let's settle it right now then. How about a quick game? My guys against yours?" Wolfgang looked confidently into the faces of the younger males.

Arnold looked to his peers and could see the anticipation for a good game but they were ill prepared and down a couple of girls.

"No thanks, Wolfgang. Let's go guys." Arnold grabbed his bat and headed from the field all while his friends complained and whined to him but essentially followed.

"Too busy taking care of your old folks?" Arnold froze at Wolfgang's nasty words and his hold on the bat tightened till his hand turned red.

Gerald looked in awe as Arnold swung the bat over his shoulder and stepped up in Wolfgang's face though he were shorter than the bully by a few inches.

"My team against your team two weeks after the Fourth of July." His voice grew husky nearly resembling a man. Wolfgang looked momentarily stunned but a confident smirk plastered his face.

"Let's make it even better. Whoever wins gets Gerald field."

Crystal blues looked into vine green as tension grew. In the background could be heard the protests of Arnold's friends, mainly that of Gerald. Arnold was tired of being the odd man out, the wimp, the orphan boy with sick grandparents. He had something to prove wether it be to Wolfgang or a stranger on the street. He would prove himself through baseball.

"Deal." Arnold had held his hand out and Wolfgang gripped the hand unecessarily tight but Arnold, determined, didn't show an ounce of discomfort.

"I can't wait to change the name of this field."

"Be prepared Wolfgang." Was all Arnold said as they released hands and Arnold walked ahead of his stunned friends who after a minute ran after the boy with the blue cap.

On the corner of Meeting Str. the boys had stopped Arnold with a firm hand to the shoulder from Sid. Arnold spun around annoyingly and looked to his distressed friend's faces.

"What. The. Hell?!" Sid yelled. Arnold was pretty sure his screams could be heard from ten blocks away.

"You signed a deal with the devil! Are you serious?!"

"Lower your voice please." Arnold stated calmly.

Sid began to pace around speaking to himself angerily. The rest of the boys looked to Arnold, Harold with an angry expression.

"How in the heck do you expect us to beat Wolfgang's team?" Harold stomped a foot.

"Yea, most are on JV at Hillwood High." Stinky crossed his arms. Gerald's "mm mmm's" were followed.

"Guys, we can beat them. I'm postive." Arnold urged.

"Ohhh he's postive. We've got a Mr. Brightside over here!" Sid glowered.

"Sid, breathe buddy." Gerald said calmly. "Arnold I know you felt like a macho man back there but c'mon, we don't even have enough players and we...we kind of..."

"We stink. Suck. Blow!" Sid threw his hands in the air.

"Exactly!" Gerald pointed.

Arnold took a moment to breathe in before speaking.

"Guys, I know we can do this. We'll start recruiting people tomorrow and we'll practice everyday and we will be ready. Gerald and Sid, you guys can make money off of this. Get people to see us play. Harold you can show off your pitching skills and Stinky you have a crazy swing. We can do this!"

Not all the boys had looked convinced but they put their hands in the middle along with Arnold's and raised it high before departing for the evening.

The sun was beginning to completely set and a blanket of black were covering the sky with the flash of street lights coming into view. Two of the oldest best friends were walking together on the way home. Arnold appreciated the silence for he needed to think and come up with exactly what to do. He had accepted Wolfgang's challenge on a frustrated whim and wish he were more levelheaded than that. With age he had become less enthusiastic and more reserved. He was still optimistic but with maturity came reality and it wasn't always nice.

Gerald, along side Arnold, was thinking silently himself on the events of today and this past week. Had Helga been there they probably would have played Wolfgang today and a challenge wouldn't have even come into the equation but it had and was provoked by none other than his pacifist friend Arnold. That was surprising but he had seen more surprising things in his life. Life was full of them.

"What happened the night you walked Helga home?"

Arnold had momentarily paused in his steps but continued walking along side Gerald.

"How do you know I walked her home?"

"You always do." Gerald raised an eyebrow a smirk forming. He heard his friend sigh as they came into view of the boarding house stoop.

Gerald had sat down on the stoop steps and looked to Arnold waiting patiently for him to as well. But Arnold, instead, stood with his arms crossed and a troubling expression on his normally smiling face.

"Something...bad." Gerald was almost afraid to hear what could have happened but his curiousity got the best of him.

"We sort of talked about her feelings and I sort of rejected her." Arnold looked up to the streetlight on his block that had been flickering for the past few nights. It was sure to go out soon.

"Damn." Gerald's voice broke Arnold's focus. A dark chuckle escaped the football headed boy followed by a slight grimace of the mouth.

Gerald seeing the affliction on his good friend's face quickly followed with a question.

"Think she'll come back and play ball?"

Arnold had finally sat down, his elbow resting on his knees with jaded eyes staring at the cement sidewalk in front of him.

"I don't even know if we'll be friends anymore."

The young man with the darker complexion ran his smooth hands together in thought a soft hitch of breath escaping his plump lips as he sincerely spoke.

"She'll always be your friend. She cares about you."

"But I don't feel the same way she does." Arnold looked to his dirty laces and reminded himself to clean off his shoes later tonight.

"Helga's not gonna let your rejection stop her from being your friend. She's a tough girl. Start believing that." Gerald stated knowingly.

A few crawling bugs and a stray cat could be seen not far away on the sidewalk. Arnold looked to his friend Gerald and for a change put his guard down.

"I feel like its my fault we haven't talked about it sooner. I kept putting it off selfishly because I didn't want to disappoint her but I did anyway, huh?"

It was a peculiar thought that someone could disappoint Helga. The girl who had little faith in anyone, including herself, Arnold thought. But he couldn't deny it. He had seen the disappointment when she turned her back on him. He almost wished he could take it back if it weren't for the fact that these just were his feelings.

"Can't blame yourself, man. You were just being honest." Gerald patted Arnold's shoulder. The blonde feeling slightly better about his decision that night.

"Besides you guys have plenty of time to get married and have football shaped unibrow headed babies." Gerald chuckled before he felt a fist collide with his arm. "Owe!"

"It was deserved. Spend the night, I don't feel comfortable with you walking home this late."

The neighborhood had changed throughout the years. While the metropolitan area grew larger crime had risen. Gang violence, muggings and robberies often took place in nearby areas but fortunately it hadn't been in Hillwood.

"I'll be fine. Don't worry, worry wart." Gerald smirked.

Arnold had believed the boy though he rather have the company tonight. He stood up along with Gerald and they did their signature shake with the wiggle of their thumbs. With a wave from Gerald and soft bye from Arnold, they had went their seperate ways for the summer evening. Tomorrow would be a busy day.


	3. Recruiting

**Disclaimer: I do not own HA!**

 **Recruiting**

It was the perfect summer day. Moderate heat with a good wind blowing every few minutes. The perfect day to play ball but instead five teens were spending the day sitting outside on a stoop with notebook and pencil in hand.

One of the boys had been lost in thought majority of the day. His mind stuck on an image of a girl who hadn't even the heart to look at him as she told him to leave. Had it really been a week ago, today, that they had such a startling conversation. Their once good friendship, now up to question. A sadness overwhelmed the young blonde but with a huff of air from his lips he had forced the thoughts to stay put in some imaginary box in his mind...at least for the time being.

"Who can we ask to play?" Harold whined taking an entire row to himself, lazily.

They all sat together, save Harold, thinking of who in their class could play ball. As they had gotten into middle school majority of their old gang had given up the yard sports and had stuck to doing much more "mature" things as they had gotten older.

"This is your fault Arnold." Sid glared at the boy with the blue cap.

Sid, who was once paranoid and skittish, had become more opinionated and dare say fearless. No one could be quite sure when it had happened but many were sure it was because of his father's job loss two years before. Now the boy and his father were just getting by when in those two years they were _barely_ getting by. Sid never had much growing up and he knew this painfully so with his nights of ramen and tap water when he craved steak. Either way not having a steak wasn't a choice of his but Arnold accepting that challenge could have been, and he didn't appreciate the thoughtless decision his football headed friend made.

"Sid, we've only been sitting here for fifteen minutes." Arnold sighed tiredly.

"Fifteen pointless minutes." Sid grumbled under his breath.

Arnold rolled his eyes in frustration and had thought of the old times when kids would just show up to play a game of ball. Instead they had started to fall apart their, in the words of their teacher, special class. And then it hit Arnold. Their old fourth grade classmates!

"How about Joey, Park, PeaPod?" Arnold said excitedly.

Gerald slightly grimaced and Stinky shook his head.

"Did I miss something?" Arnold asked slowly.

"PeaPod attends a private school, Park moved away and Joey is in Juvenile Detention."

"When did all this happen?!"

Gerald repositioned his seating. "Park left right at the beginning of eighth grade, Joey during eighth, and PeaPod left in sixth grade. Get your head out of the clouds Arnold." Gerald shook his head.

A moment of silence passed for those who had left but it hadn't lasted long. People tended to always be leaving. For a moment they were here and the next they were gone. Arnold hated these kind of surprises but he had gotten use to them when the first of the borders had left. Mr. Hyunn moved to Texas and had opened his own resturant up. He had often sent a few bucks and a letter to Arnold still feeling like Arnold was his own son. Next who had followed that seventh grade year was Susie who had divorced Oskar. It wasn't a pleasant time but it was much better that they had seperated. Oskar had gotten a job, having to, and paid his rent on time though he seemed to have withdrawn into himself since the divorce.

"How about Lorenzo?" Sid asked.

"Ohh good one. You should write him down Stinky." Gerald told the taller lanky male who had followed the instructions.

"How is Lorenzo?" Arnold asked not knowing too much about the guy except that of his busy schedule.

"He's busy but its the summer he should be free, hopefully." Sid stated confidentally still being good friends with the Cuban male.

Arnold had searched in his mind old friends he had grown up with. Images of his yoyo hitting a classmates fish, and accidentally killing that fish, came into his mind. God, he felt awful for that. Wait!

"You guys won't like this but...how about Eugene?" Arnold shut his eyes waiting for the insults.

Soon a commotion of noises and grunts errupted.

"Are you serious Arnold?" Gerald's eyes widened.

"He's a downright jinx." Stinky's voice raised an octave.

"Yea adding him to the team we'll definitely lose." Harold whined.

Sid begun to laugh jokingly. "If we recruit him, we might as well ask Curly to join us."

All laughter had stopped as Arnold's grin spread across his face. Gerald's face dropped drastically and looked to his blonde friend.

"Arnold, you cannot be serious."

Arnold shrugged after going in his house briefly to check on the soup he made for his grandma.

Stinky groaned softly to himself and wrote Eugene and Curly's names down under Lorenzo's.

"That Arnold is a dang fool."

It had gotten into the late afternoon and still the day was perfect. Not a single cloud in the sky and the wind had left their skin feeling like soft kisses were placed upon it. A day of ball in this weather would be heavenly but instead the males were just coming out of Slausens after eating some icecream.

"God I wish we were playing a game of ball right now." Sid complained yet again.

"Get over it already you big baby." Harold grumbled.

"Want a knuckle sandwhich?" Sid smirked.

"No fighting, fellowers." Stinky placing his hands between the approaching males.

With a sigh from Arnold and a shake from Gerald's head the boys had begun to roam the maze like city. Three much older girls had walked by each in tiny shorts and cut off shirts giggling profusely with bags in their hands. Sid whistled, while Gerald cat called, Harold had grown embarrassed blushing a cherry red, Stinky gave a sly smile and Arnold didn't even pay the cute girls any mind for he had other thoughts. Thoughts of baseball and of a particular blonde girl.

Soon the boys had settled at a stop waiting for the cross walk to be free. Arnold fixed his small blue cap tightly to his head, often fearful he would lose the cap, again, like he had in his youth.

"Let's split up. Sid, you go talk to Lorenzo. Stinky and Harold, Curly. Gerald and I will get Eugene. Meet up afterward at exactly 6, Gerald Field. Got it?"

Arnold placed his hand in the middle of his friends and each had placed their hands in the middle raising it high in the air before departing to recruit some members to their team.

Helga Pataki were walking from Slausens with her oldest and dearest best firend Phoebe Heryldhol. The trip to Slausens had been much more pleasant than the blonde girl's week had been. After the rejection from Arnold, the girl had withdrawn into herself and just couldn't face the reality of the situation. A situation in which she would have to move on. It would be difficult she had spent more than half of her life being hopelessly in love with him to find it was hopeless afterall.

The Asian girl beside the taller blonde looked to her friend and was at least glad she managed to get Helga out of her house. She had full knowledge of what happened between Helga and Arnold and could understand both points of view but being best friends with Helga, she couldn't help but wish Arnold tripped and fell face forward in some dirt. A small snicker errupted from the raven haired girl and with a strange look from the blonde they continued on their silent walk to Phoebe's house. That was until they had approached Gerald Field to see a cumbersome looking game of ball.

"Are you stupid or something Eugene? The ball was headed right toward you!" Sid yelled quite rudely.

Helga and Phoebe had stopped and begun to watch the sad display. Lorenzo was up to bat and with a heavy swing, the bat broke into pieces. Helga could make out Arnold pinching the bridge of his nose and looking to the sky in clear frustration.

"I don't show up for a week for practice and they've already recruited the three stooges of baseball?" Helga snickered mischeviously to herself,

"Well actually, Helga, the boys were challeneged by Wolfgang and they needed some more players since they're lacking. Gerald told me the other day." Phoebe smiled proudly.

Wolfgang had challeneged the PS118 baseball team for a game without the acknowledgement of their team player, Helga. The blonde girl couldn't help but feel a bit offended that no one had begged her to come back and play better yet tell her they had been challenged by Wolfgang and his goons. She knew this had Arnold's stink all over it. He probably didn't want her to be on the team anymore. A sadness took over but quickly anger masked it. They might not want her as a member but they needed her. She would make sure they did.

"We've got work to do Phoebe. Come on." Helga briskly walked off, unnoticed by the disfunctional team.

"Coming!" Phoebe smiled brightly feeling an exciting plan coming in view.

A night sky had taken over as a tired Gerald and Arnold had come upon the football headed boy's street. They had thrown their mitts down and the bits of wooden bat on the stoop. With a plop both boys had seated themselves tiredly on the stoop steps. Sweat, dirt and grass stains on their arms, legs and faces for they had to chase down Curly, who had stolen the ball, unsuccessfully.

"This was the absolute worst day ever!" Gerald's voice raised.

"Yea, tell me about." Arnold agreed sarcastically.

"I don't think I ever want to play or even see a baseball again."

Just then Curly had run by throwing the ball toward Gerald laughing manically as he continued down the sidewalk. Arnold and Gerald looked to one another both mutually shutting their eyes tightly thinking the same range of thoughts. As Arnold's eye peered open he had come upon the flickering street light. Its flashes bothering him more intensely than the situation at hand. They had a god awful team and even his brightside told him there wasn't much work he could do to help them.

"I shouldn't have agreed to that challenge." He stated defeatedly. His hands covering majority of his face.

"We need Helga back." Gerald stated.

Helga wasn't an issue Arnold wanted to bring up. He couldn't ask her to join their team again after his blatant rejection. It would be cruel of him to stop at her doorstep and beg for her to help them.

"I don't think she would want to come back." He sighed clear exhausten in his voice.

The blonde could make out Gerald's disapproving face but had chosen to ignore it. They had to get in more practices. He grew determined quickly and stood up taking his broken bat pieces and throwing them in the trash. Lorenzo, heavy hitter, had broken his bat but had promised to buy him a new one. It was getting pretty late out.

"Spend the night?"

Gerald thought for a moment and agreed remembering he had some clothes. The boys often lived at each others houses both considered family in both households.

"You can take a shower first. I have to make sure Grandpa took his meds, he's so damn stubborn. Then I have to get Grandma to eat."

"Yea, you're the only person your Grandma lets feed her," Gerald smiled but deep in his voice there was a sadness at the strain Arnold had in his household. "I'll see if the old man took his pills. You feed Grandma."

Arnold looked stunned for a moment. "You sure?" Gerald waved his hand as if it were nothing.

"Thanks, Gerald. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Me either brotha." Gerald budded Arnold's shoulder as the two entered the boarding home.

All the while the street light flickered and had begun to dim.


	4. Tension

**A/N:** Sorry I haven't updated this recently. This chapter is longer and much more entertaining. Read, review and enjoy!

 **Disclaimer: I do not own HA!**

 **Tension**

It had rained for the past three days. Eugene had broken his arm sliding into third base after hitting the ball his first time. Which meant for the team that they were down a man. Eugene had proudly suggested at being score keeper/towel boy. Arnold accepted such an offer needing any help he could get at this point.

Literally and figuratively the bright side was fading but it hadn't stopped the blonde from continuing practice even in the unlikable weather. Majority of the boys just went along with it, ignoring the pestering pounds of water droplets falling on their heads. Sid on the other hand had had enough!

"Why are we practicing in the rain?!"

Arnold had sighed for the fifth time during the game becoming quite agitated with his ragtag group of friends and their complaints.

"Because, Sid, we need to practice in order to get better." He practically deadpanned.

"And kick Wolfgang and his mange of mutts asses!" Harold bellowed out.

Many agreed outwardly with their own cheers, and wild calls to the prior statement made by Harold. Even Eugene who was normally against swearing raised his good hand in a fist. Sid looked around at everyone in the group before his eyes landed on Arnold.

"Can we get on with the game now, Sid or do you have anymore questions?"

Arnold didn't wait for a response as he walked back toward his position as pitcher. He hadn't meant to come off pretentious but since the challenge had been presented Sid had become rather intolerable in attitude. And the blonde's patience was wearing thin by the day. The boys hadn't gotten any better and the weather certainly hadn't either. All in all there was no improvement. A bright side was looking farther away than before.

Stinky stood at right of the field while Curly did a grand jeté on the left. Arnold looked toward his best friend, Gerald, who was currently slapping a hand down his forehead watching Curly's ridiculous movements. Gerald grabbed the bat by the handle and with weary eyes walked over to heavy hitter, Lorenzo.

Sid, taking off his catcher mask stood tall and watched the exchange a look of dread spreading across his features.

"Oh god anyone but Lorenzo!" Harold cried with his arms raised to the grey skies above on third base.

"Please please please my brotha..." Gerald stood directly in front of Lorenzo holding the wooden bat out to him. Lorenzo tried to get a hold of it but Gerald brought it back to the ground again staring the Cuban boy directly in the eyes.

"Don't. Break. The. Bat." Gerald poked the bat with each word at Lorenzo's chest. "Capiche?" He finally left it in mid air for the taking.

"Alright alright." Lorenzo took the bat becoming rather frustrated with everyone's apprehensive expressions. They asked him to play not the other way around. And so what if he broke every bat he'd held so far? They were still hits weren't they?!

"Pendejos." He muttered under his breath as he stepped up to plate.

"We gotta heavy hitter up to bat back it up back it up!" Sid yelled out.

Lorenzo gave a quick glare behind him at Sid when he turned back the ball zooming by FAST. Lorenzo swung the bat wildly but missed the fast ball watching it go past him and into Sid's mitt.

"Strike one!" Sid called out.

"UGH WHAT?!" Lorenzo stomped.

"Pay attention, Lorenzo!" Arnold called from the pitchers position. "It's Sid's job to distract you from my pitches."

"I got that, Arnold." Lorenzo said with a rather clipped tone.

It was clear the olive toned male was getting agitated by the game and turned his full attention to Arnold. Arnold threw another fast pitch this time Lorenzo was prepared, he swung the bat hard hitting the ball with such intensity that wood pieces from the bat cracked and broke into splinters amongst the ground, scattering all around the home plate. Lorenzo took the opportunity to run to first base. The boys looked to the outfield watching the ball fly out far and descend down in a straight fall to which Stinky caught flawlessly.

"OUT!" Sid yelled.

"Goddammit!" Lorenzo yelled and began to curse to himself in Spanish.

Gerald walked over to home plate and picked up the wooden pieces scattered around, tiredly.

"My new bat." He moaned to himself letting the wooden pieces fall between his fingers.

"There isn't a snowball chance in hell that we'll beat Wolfgang! Face it, Arnold, we're goners." Sid took off his mask and slammed it on the ground.

"Is this what everyone thinks?!" Arnold looked around at his friend's who had all done as Sid, throwing their own mitts down.

None of the boys could meet Arnold's gaze, looking at the moistened ground. Rain steadily pouring down on them. Arnold looked to Gerald who had been the only one to not join them but his face practically matched theirs.

"Gerald?" Arnold asked solemnly.

The handsome boy with the high top fade grimaced with a slight shrug of his shoulders.

"I don't know, man. It's not looking good."

Arnold couldn't believe his friend's lack of faith. Sure his was dwindling by the day but he still held onto hope for the simple fact that this was their field.

"Guys... we can't give up yet. This field it's ours it belongs to us. Giving up now means giving this all away to the likes of Wolfgang!"

Still no one had spoken up. All eyes were shifted to the ground or the shoes on their feet. Where was the bright side?

"We just can't give up." Arnold said to himself.

"You may as well, Football Head." An alarming familiar voice spoke out. Immediately the blonde boy turned his body to find a face he thought he may never see again.

"Helga!" Sid nearly blanched.

Arnold could only stare at her as the other boys mimicked. She was wearing a Pink Floyd shirt and those shorts Sid loved to go on about. Her blonde hair was out and slightly damp from the rain. She held a victorious grin on her pouty lips that matched the dark determination in her azure eyes. He hadn't seen her in nearly two weeks and she appeared perfectly fine... better than fine even!

"Take a picture, it'll last longer." She smirked at Arnold who blushed on spot not realizing he'd been staring so long at her.

He noticed she wasn't the only person who interrupted the boys pity party alongside her were nearly all the PS118 girls. Phoebe was to her right and to the right of Phoebe was Nadine, Rhonda on Helga's left and to the left of her was Lila. The guys had begun to gather closer to Arnold and the approaching girls.

"Helga, you're back?" He blinked a few times unsure if this was really happening.

"Correction I'm back with my own team."

"Your team?!"

"What's it look like? doi." She rolled her eyes with a pop of her pink gum.

"Helga?" She pressed a hand against her protruding hip looking at the blonde boy with a rather bored expression.

"Can we um talk? Please."

"We're talking aren't we?"

His teeth grounded together in annoyance at her obvious attitude but maintained a calm tone.

"In private."

Phoebe had said something quietly to Helga whom laughed and was soon joined by Phoebe. He crossed his arms trying to remain stoic but she certainly made things difficult..per usual. She finally looked toward him a raised eyebrow and a slight hand wave to the left of him.

"Step into my office." She gestured to across the field, ushering him first. He shook his head at her antics and walked past her far enough that they weren't in earshot of the others. She had her hands clasped behind her back innocently a sweet dazed smile on her face but Arnold knew it was anything but innocent and to be careful of what he say to the ever changing girl. However having not seen her since their last incident he just ended up saying hi rather lamely.

"Hi." She shook her head at him utterly confused.

He wanted to face palm himself then. God why was it that when it came to her he messed up like this, he practically screamed inside his mind. She was standing there waiting, impatiently at that, and he quickly said the first thing that came to mind in a foolish attempt to not piss her off.

"How are you?"

"Fine." She deadpanned. He paused a moment waiting to see if there'd be any other response but it was clear that was the end of that so he continued this horrible torture in pursuit to...well he had so easily forgotten his intention.

"What have you been up to?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary."

Her lackadaisical responses were really making him apprehensive. His palms started sweating and the words he wanted to say to her were becoming a jumbled mess inside the oblong head of his. Her eyes didn't show that same sorrow or deep feeling she often held for him and he really really didn't like it.

"What brings you-" Making another attempt to try to make conversation she interrupted him mid question and thank god she had.

"If we're gonna do small talk we could have stayed where we were you know."

Ouch, he blinked. He hadn't seen this side of Helga in a really long time. No that wasn't true. She was never this cold. He wrinkled the bottom part of his damp shirt in his hands, twisting it nervously.

"Yea, um I didn't bring you over here for that." His voice almost whimsical and he questioned why the heck he was whispering at all.

"Then get the crap out of your mouth." He still hadn't spoken stuttering over the words he wanted to get out but she just rolled her eyes and snorted rather unladylike.

"I don't have time for this. I got a game to get started." She began stomping away toward the others and he had nearly tripped over himself to follow her.

"Then join the team again!" He blurted. She paused abruptly having him run into her back and tumble backwards on the wet grass.

She twisted her body around and looked down on him pitifully.

"No thanks. I've got a better one."

He lifted himself up with his palms, his eyes staring at her blue.

"Helga, what are you saying?" His first genuine question since his previous attempts.

"I'm saying I found a better team." She stated rather blandly.

No longer were they out of earshot from their friends whom had heard the previous stated conversation.

"With a bunch of girls?" Stinky tilted his head at the girls in front of him.

"Sissy girls." Harold cackled in that annoying way he often did when he found something funny.

"What did you say, Harold?" Rhonda's pretty face twisted and her amber eyes narrowed down at the tubby teen.

Helga had completely moved her attention to Harold and began walking toward her friends. Arnold silently cursed seeing the situation turning sour quickly. He stood up brushing off grass stains and could only watch the reactions.

"Um sissy girls.." he scratched his head not sure what he'd done wrong.

"Yea, well these sissy girls have what it takes to beat Wolfgang and his goons." Helga proudly stated standing in between her group of girls.

A moment of silence passed between everyone on the field. The boys all looked to each other, wide eyed, and all of them with the exception of Arnold laughed loudly. The laughing grew in volume and intensity with each passing second. Tears leaking from the corner of Harold's pinking face.

"Oh that's a good one." He wiped his eyes, then slapped a hand down on Sid'd back who was bent forward still chuckling like the other boys.

"I'm sorry but I don't understand what's so funny." Lila quipped looking genuinely confused at the laughing boys in front of her.

"You guys!" Sid emphasized with both hands.

"That we're girls?" Nadine's mouth scrunched up in annoyance, her long blonde dreads flipping to her right shoulder.

Harold, Stinky and Sid looked to each other chuckling unbelievably at Nadine's statement.

"That and that you think you girls can beat Wolfgang." Stinky drawled.

"That's stupid." Rhonda rolled her eyes, her arms crossing across her shapely chest frustratedly.

"Not only is that ignorant like Rhonda stated it's rather sexist and very misogynistic." Phoebe pressed the edge of her glasses down looking to the boys in annoyance.

"Oh c'mon, Pheebs, don't be like that. If we can't even get it together what makes you think you guys can beat them?" Gerald smirked toward his longtime crush who's mouth hung agape.

"If I were you, hairboy, I'd shut my big fat mouth." Helga brought her right hand up in a fist.

While Gerald had distractedly looked to Helga he hadn't noticed Phoebe walking toward him. She had been a few inches from Gerald looking up at him as she were shorter than him. He jumped slightly surprised by the proximity.

"Gerald are you saying we can't beat your team?" Her pretty brown eyes looking into his own brown.

He looked to the left and right of him then behind him at all his boys and saw the disappointed shake of Arnold's head. With a confused shrug he looked back at the ivory tone girl.

"Well yea." He chuckled offhandedly.

Phoebe gave him a reassuring smile that he inwardly gushed over until he felt her firm finger press hard into his chest.

"GERALD, I CHALLENGE YOU AND YOUR TEAM TO A BASEBALL MATCH!" She spoke with an alarmingly authoritative tone.

Gerald stumbled backward being held up by his friends who all looked at the girls in front of them. They then turned to each other too stunned to speak so soon.

"You can't be serious, doll." Curly's voice broke out walking toward Rhonda. "You and your girls against my team? Ludicrous." He cackled manically.

"Watch us, freak." She gritted at him with utter disgust to which he winked at her heading back toward the guys.

"This is what you came for, Helga?" Arnold asked finally having an opportunity to talk.

She looked at him no remorse in her eyes.

"Yup. Whomever wins will play against Wolfgang's team in the fight over Gerald Field."

He hadn't spoken to her in nearly two weeks. In that time he had been so unfocused being concerned about her, her feelings, replaying her sorrow filled expression that night and her combative words toward his already bruised heart. And she had the audacity to come to the field pretending their exchange hadn't happened, quit and challenge the same team she quit in one day?! He heatedly stared at her walking toward her, his sneakers smudging into the wet grass with loud heavy steps. She looked stunned momentarily but held her ground as they were a foot apart.

"You want a challenge, Helga? You've got one." The girl smiled malicious intent her eyes to which only angered Arnold further.

"Gerald Field, Saturday."

"That's in two days!" He said rather surprised by such a short time.

"Chicken." She smirked. The girls behind her began to cluck playfully and imitate flapping wings with their arms. Arnold growled low beginning to become angrier than he already was.

"Never that." He gritted.

"Good. I can't wait to wipe the floor with your stupid football shaped head." She sneered stepping closer to him.

He inched up toward her face, slightly shorter than her still.

"Bring it, pinkie." He seethed.

The two stood rooted refusing to glare at anything but the other. Their unrequited thoughts rising the heat behind their intensity. Arnold's heart was beating sporadically, making his flat chest pound in an uptempo. Helga furrowing her eyebrows till a drip of sweat fell from the corner of her forehead. It soon began to become rather uncomfortable for the others as Gerald coughed loudly breaking the two blondes apart. They looked to the teens around them and then back to each other in slight embarrassment. Both their faces flushed.

"You die on Saturday." Helga stated to Arnold before walking away from the lot altogether.

The remaining girls began to follow Helga out of the lot but not before laughing at the stunned guys mocking them by blowing raspberries, and skipping playfully away. Gerald tried to approach Phoebe but the girl placed a hand up to pause him and turned away from him, anger masking her normally meek face. Soon no girls were in distance of the lot nor across the street.

Arnold stood before the boys, back turned to them and hands to his sides clutched in fists. Gerald languidly took the remaining steps forward to his best friend and placed an unsure hand on his shoulder.

"You okay, buddy?"

"Sleepover at the boarding house." He spoke. "Tonight. We've got to plan."

"Hell yea!" Sid fish pumped the air in triumph.

"Oh! My first ever sleepover!" Eugene gushed talking to himself quickly and quietly about what snacks and movies to bring.

The other boys began to talk amongst themselves about what had just happened all the while Gerald looked worriedly to his clearly angry blonde friend.

"I can't believe she'd do this to me."


End file.
